Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...

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They hung sodden coats on a peg inside. There were papers everywhere, but no sign of money; the
treasury was closer to the center of camp, it seemed, and better guarded. They all knelt on the mat.
"Arrhe you good with otser things," he asked Megan, "besides knives?"
"A few." Megan's hands were on her legs, fingers pointing in. She took a deep breath and drew on the
manrauq , outlining her hands in yellow light. Once set, the spell needed minimal attention, letting her
talk. "This sort of thing."
Now there was a reaction on that reactionless face.
The eyes widened. "Stop righttsere ," he said. She snapped the spell in two, the Tight dying with it.
"Show me no morrhe… I think you two arrne special cases. You'll hahve to unde'go
truth-drugging—strictly ahs precaution, you unde'stahnd."
Shit, Megan thought. An Arkan technique, truth-drug for anything suspicious, truth-drug
scraping—asking you what it was you least wanted them to know, while you were under the drug—if
they thought you were a spy. Seemed the heroes had picked up a few of the villains tricks. Megan
blinked once then nodded. "We've got nothing to hide."Do we ? A quick mental inventory.No, we really
don't this time .
The paymaster summoned a squire in fluid Yeoli, sent him ahead, rattled off an order to a
clerkish-looking type near by, and rose. "Come with me. You cahn leave you' baggage hyere, my people
will guarrd it, but bring tseh… ahnimal."
With Hotblood at Shkai'ra's side they went deeper into the camp, towards the center; soon there was no
language in the air but Yeoli, flowing like water, full of unpronounceable sounds. Somehow the Yeolis
managed to gesticulate even with both hands full. Every eye seemed to strain, puzzling out the nature of
Hotblood. They passed a crowd of tiny tents of an odd grey-green color, the people in and around them
dark, some almost black.In the middle of the Yeoli camp , Megan thought,not with the other
mercenaries ? "Teik Paymaster," she asked, "who are they?"
"A-niah."That tells me a lot . But Peraila didn't say more.
All the Yeoli tents were the same. He came to one that had an administrative sort of look. From several
nondescript people, he chose a mouse-haired woman, conferring with her in whispers. He told her their
names, Megan heard, but didn't tell them hers; nor did she introduce herself, or say what part of the army
she was with. The sortof person the eye would miss in a crowd, unnoticeable against a blank wall.
Groups of them together give me chicken-skin on my soul , Megan thought; they looked eerily
wrong, because unlike anormal crowd, no one stood out.Idon't know why I'm surprised. I guess it's
because Yeolis always seem so open and above board . She reminded herself of the name their secret
service went under: Ikal.
Iwonder how Peraila strips, Shkai'ra thought.Jaiwun damn, traveling by horse puts Megan out of
the mood and me in… More sword-hand marriage for me tonight .
"Come inside," the nameless woman said in perfect Enchian, with a polite smile. "But leave all your
weapons outside." It was almost apologetic. Casting a glance at Shkai'ra's: "Don't worry, they'll be